Ice tray



Aug. 1, 1939. H. D. GEYER ICE TRAY Filed May 10, 1937 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Ham 71757091 H. D. GEYER Aug. 1, 1939.

Filed May 10, 1937 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Aug. 1, 1939 UNITED STATES ICE TRAY Harvey D. Geyer, Dayton,

Ohio, assignor to General Motors Corporation, Detroit, Mich., a cor-' poration of Delaware Application May 10,1937, Serial No. 141,610 6 Claims. (Cl. 62-1085) This invention relates to freezing trays es pecially such as are adapted for use in mechanical refrigerators for household use.

An object of this invention is to provide a freezing tray having a metallic grid whose partition walls are relatively movable by spring action after the ice is frozen, whereby to automatically loosen or free the ice blocks from said grid without the necessity of melting the ice loose.

A further more specific object is to provide a grid having spring-pressed cross partitions and means for cocking said partitions into their normal freezing position until after the iceis frozen, and spring-release means for then permitting said partitions to automatically return to an iceejecting position to facilitate the removal of the ice blocks.

Further objects and advantages of the present Fig. 4 is a perspective view of a portion of the grid alone. the parts being shown in freezing position.

Fig. 5 is similar to Fig. 4 but the parts shown in the ice-ejecting position.

Fig. 6 is an end view of Fig. 5.

Fig. 7 is adetail view of a cross partition element in its non distorted shape. I

Fig. 8 is a plan view of Fig. 7.

- Fig. 9 is a section on line 9-9 of Fig. 7.

Similar reference characters refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

III designates the container pan which may be of any suitable design, but preferably is a slightly flexible sheet metal pan shaped as shown and made according to my copending application S.

88,559 filed July 2, 1936. Such a container pan may be freed from its solidly frozen contents simply by setting same upon a flat surface and pressing down on its two diagonally opposed corners to slightly warp or twist the pan, thus causing it to peel from the ice mass.

The removable grid forms the chief subject matter of this application. This grid comprises a main longitudinal metal plate I I having a series of spaced vertical slots I2 therein each extending are a substantial distance down from the top edge of plate II at its points of intersection with the cross partitions. Each cross partition comprises two separate metal elements I5 shaped as shown in Figs. 7 and 8. Each element I5 has a neck portion I6 which extends loosely thru a slot I2 in the main plate II and a distortable spring flange I! turned at right angles to the plane of the cross partition and arranged to lie on the opposite side of main plate II from the main portion of element I5. These spring flanges I1 have a normal curved or inclined shape, as shown in Fig. 7, so that when thel'ower portions I8 thereof are spot-welded or otherwise fixed to the lower. edge of plate II at points I9,- the cross partition elements I5 will normally be held tilted at a substantial angle to plate II as illustrated in Fig. 6.

This is called the normal or ice-ejecting position of the cross partitions I5.

The means for forcing cross partitions I5 against the urge of the spring flanges I! to their non-tilted or freezing position shown in Fig. 3 will now be described. .Each cross element I5 has an integral projection overlying the main plate II and a square aperture 2i therein. When elements I5 are in their tilted position apertures 2I are non-aligned, that is offset laterally from each other'as shown in Fig. 6, however these apertures 2I mutually overlap a distance equal to the narrow width of the rectangular section of the actuating bar which is threaded thru the apertures 2| of all the cross elements I5. Now when the bar 25 is rotated in either direction thru a 90 degree angle from its vertical position it will cam all the apertures 2| into direct alignment,

which of course means that cross elements I5 'will be forced to rock to their non-tilted position of Figs. 3 and 4. This rocking tensions all the spring flanges I'l action strongly since it distorts "them from their normal curved orangular position clearly shown in Fig. 6 to face to face contact with plate II as shown-in Figpii. A During such rocking of cross. elements I5 their neck portions I5 slide freely thruthe slots I2 in main plate II. The actuating bar 25 has a hand crank 26 at one end thereof by means of which bar 25 may be rotated by hand in either direction. If desired, the hand crank 26 may be fixed to bar 25 at its central portion instead, of at one end thereof, since it will obviously not interfere with the removal of the ice blocks when in its raised or vertical position.

In operation, starting with the grid in is normal or non-tensioned condition (shown in Figs.

5 and 6) the actuating bar I5 is rotated thru 90' the apertures 2| and thereby forces all the cross elements 15 to rock to their non-tilted position (shown in Figs. 3 and 4) and thereby strongly tensions all the spring flanges II. The narrow flat surfaces of bar 25 will then lie pressed tightly against the vertical edges of apertures 2| and hence elements 15 will be retained in their tensioned position after the operator releases hand crank 26. The grid then stands cooked in its freezing position (see Figs. 3 and 4). The grid may be thus cocked either before or after it is set within 'pan l0, and also either before or after pan III is fllled with water to the desired level.

After the ice is solidly frozen, the pan i is flrst removed from its frozen contents by flexing the pan by pressing down on two diagonally opposed corners thereof as above described, or by any of various other suitable and presently known methods. The operator then merely flips the hand crank 26 to its vertical position, that is to say he uncocks the spring mechanism with little effort. As soon as bar 25 releases its pressure against the apertures 2|, the spring flanges ll are then free except for the ice bond to tilt or rock cross elements l5 to the ice-ejecting position of Figs. 5 and 6. The tension of spring flanges I1 is made suiflciently strong to overcome the binding resistance of the ice bond and hence to automatically rock cross elements IE to the position of Fig. 5 and thereby loosen or entirely eject the ice blocks from the grid. It will be noted that when the-spring flanges I! return to their normal angular position shown in Fig. 5, each flange II will urge its contacting ice block laterally outwardly from its two contacting metal partitions 15. In other words there is a substantial relative movement between each flange l1 and the two metal partitions l5 adjacent thereto.

In some cases the binding resistance of the ice bond may be so strong due to very cold temperatures that the above-described automatic operation of the grid will not occur immediately upon uncocking same. In such cases the operator simply uncocks the grid and lets it stand for a few moments at room temperature, whereupon the above-described automatic ejection will take place without any further attention from the operator.

Preferably the metal parts I I, I5, and 25 are made from stainless steel. It is essential that the spring flanges ll be made of some resilient metal with good spring qualities.

While the embodiment of the present invention as herein disclosed, constitutes a preferred form, it is to be understood that other forms might be adopted, all coming within the scope of the claims which follow.

What is claimed is as follows:

1. In a freezing tray, 9. container pan, a'removable grid for said pan, said grid comprising: a main longitudinal metal plate and a series of metal cross partitions associated with said plate to form ice block compartments, said cross partitions each having a spring flange pressing against said plate and normally projecting therefrom, retaining means for holding said spring flanges deflected toward said plate during freezing of the ice contents, and means for releasing said retaining means after the ice is frozen to permit said flanges to return to their normal projecting position and thereby aid in ejecting the ice from the grid.

2. In a freezing tray, a container pan, a removable grid for said pan, said grid comprising: a main longitudinal metal plate and a series of metal cross partitions movably attached to said plate to form ice block compartments, spring means for urging said cross partitions to an iceejecting position, retaining means for holding said cross partitions in their freezing position against the urge of said spring means, and means for releasing said retaining means after the ice is frozen.

3. In a freezing tray, a container pan, a reejecting position, and manual means operable to deflect said spring means and retain said partitions in their deflected freezing position and operable to release said partitions after the ice is frozen.

5. In a freezing tray, a container pan, a re-. movable grid for said pan, said grid comprising: a series of relatively movable partitions forming ice block compartments, spring means for moving some of said partitions relative to other partitions, and means for tensioning said spring means and holding said partitions in their freezing position and for releasing said spring means after the ice is frozen.

6. In a freezingtray, a container pan, a removable grid for said pan, said grid comprising: a main longitudinal partition forming a rela-: tively stationary backbone for said grid, a series of pairs of relatively tiltable lateral flns carried by and projecting laterally from opposite sides of said main partition and forming therewith two rows of ice block compartments, each lateral fln forming a dividing partition on only one side of said main partition, and means for forcing the two lateral flns of each pair to tilt relative to each other and relative to said main wall to facilitate the removal of the frozen ice contents.

HARVEY D. em. 

